CASE STUDY: Rite Aid Creates the Right Candidate Experience

by Sharlyn Lauby on February 7, 2012

(Today’s post is sponsored by iCIMS, a leading provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business solutions. This case study highlights iCIMS unique “back to the basics” corporate philosophy that creates client value by turning less-necessary system functionality into configurable options and flexible platforms. Enjoy!)

We often talk in human resources about the candidate experience. That is, making sure that individuals who apply for a job with our company are treated well, given all the information they need about the job and the organization, and receive timely, accurate follow-up during the interview process. When the candidate experience is lacking, it can impact our ability to quickly fill positions with qualified people.

So imagine what happens when you add to this scenario that everyone who applies with your company can also be a customer or consumer of your product/service. Now the pressure is really on. Human resources has to deliver an experience that, regardless of whether a person gets the job, they still retain the individual as a customer.

I could really relate to this situation. From my experience in the hospitality industry, it’s not as easy as it looks. We couldn’t hire everyone who applied, but we certainly wanted them to vacation at our resort.

That was one of the challenges facing Rite Aid, the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S. with over 5,000 stores in thirty-one states.

Forrester Research: Rite Aid’s Career Portal has been scored among the highest rated career portals in their “Best And Worst Of Career Web Sites” report.

According to Tom Sheehan, Rite Aid’s director of talent acquisition, the recruiting function struggled to keep up with the 100,000+ applications they would receive each year. Not to mention the increased workload at the time with the acquisition of Eckerd Pharmacy. “We saw the organizational changes coming, and knew our processes simply wouldn’t scale to survive the acquisition,” explained Sheehan. “It was clear we needed support for this huge transition.”

Knowing the importance of customer service, Rite Aid recognized they wanted a partner who had a reputation of delivering top-notch service. “A lot of systems deliver the same core features,” Sheehan said. “So we sought to find the best service – a provider who could clearly show Rite Aid they understood our sense of urgency. Who could strategically yet easily implement the system?”

After reviewing several options, Rite Aid selected iCIMS and their Talent Platform because it could speak to their customer experience. Sheehan said about the decision, “iCIMS proved they could accommodate our needs and could easily support our growth. We felt extremely confident in their service team’s ability to not only deploy our system, but help us define a strong process using best practices.”

Being able to differentiate your product or service is essential. Believe me, I learned this lesson years ago working in the hotel industry. Every hotel has beds, etc. It’s the people who make the experience special. This is exactly what Rite Aid is talking about in their decision to select iCIMS.

The iCIMS Talent Platform offers several components to manage the job application process including job posting, applicant tracking, and agency management. That’s something I could have really used during my corporate recruiting days. Best of all, the iCIMS system is designed to help candidates:

Easily navigate and apply via your company career site,

Provide regular updates about the status of a candidate’s application,

Allow candidates to schedule their own interviews, and;

If hired, permit new hires to complete all the necessary paperwork prior to the first day of work.

Rite Aid reported that they realized several key benefits after implementing the iCIMS Talent Platform. Not only was the Platform scalable but it was able to accommodate multiple hire types within a single system. So, if you’re a business that accepts applications both via the internet and on-location, you don’t have to purchase, implement and train hiring managers on multiple systems. Just think of the cost savings!

Another plus was the transformation of the recruiting function from administrative to strategic. Sheehan noted, “Our recruiters have moved from administrators to talent managers, our processes are OFCCP compliant, and our ability to support our candidates has significantly improved.”

Now, you don’t have to believe me about the success of iCIMS’ Talent Platform. According to Forrester Research, Rite Aid’s Career Portal has been scored among the highest rated career portals in their “Best And Worst Of Career Web Sites” report.

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Hi! I'm Sharlyn Lauby, an HR pro turned consultant. I created the HR Bartender blog so people would have a friendly place to discuss workplace issues. And since, over the years, I've developed an appreciation for the culinary arts (translation: I'm a Foodie) you'll see some of that here too. So, pull up a stool and order your favorite drink . . . the bar is always open.
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